Drive means for printing platen machines



July 16, 1963 J. G. SCHICK I DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING PLATEN MACHINES Filed Sept. 19, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

FIG. 3

' INVENTOR. 0//4/v/v @086 fa/woe WWW July 16, 1963 J. G. SCHICK 3,097,596

DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING PLATEN MACHINES Filed Sept. 19, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

I N V EN TOR. /o//4Mv 620 6; Jw/aw United States Patent 3,097,596 DRIVE MEANS FOR PRINTING PLATEN MACHINES Johann Georg Schick, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, assignor to Ferdinand Riiesch Maschinenfabrik, Sankt Gallen,

Switzerland Filed Sept. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 57,058. Claims priority, application Switzerland Sept. 18, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 101-320) This invention relates to drive means for the printing head and ink roller drive for platen printing presses.

There are known platen printing presses or machines, in which the drive for the printing head is eliectuated by two pairs of eccentric members. This known structure, however, has the disadvantage that the web of paper is transported only laterally of the printing head and underneath the printing mechanism.

In accordance with the present invention, these two pairs of eccentric members are constructed as chain sprockets, each pair including a drive sprocket and a driven sprocket interconnected by a drive chain. Each sprocket has fixed concentrically therewith a further eccentric, and the pairs of further eccentrics are interconnected by links whereby, upon rotation of the drive sprockets, these further eccentrics which, together with their fixedly connected driven sprockets, are rotatable about the stub shafts or gudgeons of the printing head, effect vertical reciprocation of the printing head in synchronism with the rotation of the sprockets. A pair of arms are also rotatable mounted on the stub shafts of the printing head, to extend radially therefrom, and these arms are fixed to rotate with the driven sprockets. The arms support the printing roller assembly for revolution about the printing head and, in a known manner, the printing head assembly is reciprocable lengthwise of these arms, being biased toward the printing head, so as to accommodate the inking roller assembly to the head which is in the form of a cylinder but has flattened lower surface on which is mounted the printing block which is thus reciprocated toward and away from the web to be printed. The drive sprockets are mounted upon a common drive shaft whereby, when this drive shaft is rotated, not only is the printing head reciprocated vertically but also the inking roller assembly is revolved around the printing head during each cycle of reciprocation of the latter.

-It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide means considerably simplifying and improving the drive mechanism for platen printing machines and in particular of the printing head and ink roller transmission thereof.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means facilitating the change-over of heretofore employable mechanisms of platen printing machines to the novel and efiicacious drive as set forth,

These and other objects of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed descrip tion, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the attached drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the drive means with the printing head in the raised position,

FIG. 2 an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the printing press drive embodying the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of said drive means with the printing head in the lower position.

Referring to the drawings, a rotary drive shaft 2 is rotatably journalled in the printing bed or base 1. A pair of sprockets 3 and 4 are keyed to opposite ends of shaft 2, but are eccentric to shaft 2 so that, during rota- 3,097,596 Patented July 16, 1963 tion of the shaft, these chain sprockets act as eccentrics. Furthermore, each sprocket 3 and 4 has integral or fixed therewith an eccentric part 3a or 4a which is concentric with the respective sprocket 3 or 4 but is eccentric with respect to the drive shaft 2.

The printing press includes a pair of substantially vertical guides 20 in which are slideably mounted slides 19 and 19a. These slides support the printing head 18 by means of stub shafts 11. and 12 which are fixed against rotation in the slides 19 and 19a. Stub shaft 11 has mounted thereon a bushing 13, and stub shaft has a bushing 14 mounted thereon. A driven sprocket 9 is rotatable on the bushing 13, and a driven sprocket 10 is rotatable on the bushing 14. Sprockets -9 and 10 are concentric with each other but are eccentric with respect to the respective stub shafts 11 and 12.

Each sprocket 9 or 10 has fixed or integral therewith an eccentric part 9a or 10a, respectively, each of which such eccentric parts is concentric with its associated sprocket 9 or 10 but is eccentric with respect to the associated stub shaft 11 or 12. Links 7 and 8 are arranged one on each side of the printing head, and each link is formed with a longitudinally spaced pair of circular apertures, one of which receives the eccentric part 3a or 4a associated with the respective drive sprocket and the other of which receives the eccentric 9a or 10a asso ciated with the respective driven sprocket.

With the arrangement thus far described, when the drive shaft 2 is rotated, the drive sprockets 3 and 4, and their associated eccentric parts 3a and 4a, are also rotated. .The' drive sprockets are connected with the driven sprockets by means of chains 5 and 6. Thus, the driven sprockets 9 and 10 are also rotated, along with their respective eccentric parts 9a and 10a. This results in a vertical reciprocation of the printing cylinder or head 18, as guided by the slides 19 and 19a moving slideably along the guides 20. It will further be noted that due to the particular eccentric disposition of the respective drive and driven sprockets, the chains 5 and 6 remain taut at all times.

The printing head 18, which is generally cylindrical, is maintained against rotation by the fixing of the stub shafts 11 and 12 in the slides 19 and 19a. The lower portion of the printing head is flat, as at 18a, and on the front portion 18a there is mounted the printing block 21. FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of the parts when the printing head 18 is in the raised position, and FIG. 3 shows the arrangements of the parts when the printing head 18 is in its lowered or printing position.

The bushings '12 and 13 also have rotatably mounted thereon a pair of arms 16 and 17 which are aligned with each other and extend radially from the bushings. These arms 16 and 17 are either integral with or fixed to, as by means of keys or the like, the driven sprockets 10 and 9, respectively, and are thus rotated with their associated driven sprockets. The inking roller assembly, generally indicated at 22, has its ends slidably supported in the arm 17 and, in a known manner, is biased continuously inwardly of the arm. Consequently, during rotation of the 'drive shaft 2, with resultant rotation of the driven sprockets 9 and 10, the arms 16 and 17 are rotated in synchronism with the driven sprockets and thus revolve the inking roller assembly 22 around the printing head in synchronism with the reciprocation of the latter. In a. manner known to the art, the inking roller assembly is maintained in contact with the printing head at all times, not only when passing around the cylindrical portion thereof, but also when passing over the printing block 21 on the flat portion 18a of the printing head. Examples of inking rollers which are continuousiy spring biased to engage a printing head as they revolve therearound are shown in the patents:

U.S. 818,699, Loyster, April 1906 US. 1,552,302, Hotchkiss, Sept. 1, 1925 US. 1,069,764, Cartwright, Aug. 12, 1913 U8. 955,196, Von Philp, Apr. 19, 1910.

Each of the links 7 and 8, which may be termed draw rods, is formed with a relatively elongated aperture 25, of considerable depth, whereby the printing web 26 may be fed through the printing press in a direction parallel to the axes of drive shaft 2 and printing head 10. The direction of feed is indicated by the arrow 26, and the openings in the guides '20 for the slides 19 and 19a are sufficiently wide to permit brief passage of the printing web 23.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a printing head drive which also acts as a drive for revolving the inking roller assembly about the printing head during and in synchronism with the reciprocation of the printing head. This enables a single drive means to be employed both for reciprocating the printing head and for revolving the inking roller assembly about the printing head.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A printing press comprising, in combination, a printing bed; a printing head mounted for substantially vertical reciprocation relative to said bed, and having a pair of coaxial oppositely directed stub shafts; a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said printing bed; a pair of concentric drive sprockets eccentrically fixed on opposite ends of said drive shaft; a pair of concentric dn'ven sprockets each eccentrically rotatable on a respective stub shaft; a pair of drive chains each connecting a drive sprocket to an associated driven sprocket; head reciproeating means moveable in synchronism with said drive sprockets and connected to said head and including means maintaining a constant spacing between the centers of each' drive sprocket and its associated driven sprocket; an inking roller assembly; support means revolvably mounting said assembly on said stub shafts for revolution about said printing head; and means drivingly connecting said support means to said driven sprockets for revolution of said assembly in synchronism with the reciprocation of said printing head.

2. A printing press as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for maintaining the center spacing comprises eccentrics each concentric with a respective one of said sprockets and rotatable therewith; and means interconnecting each driving eccentric to an associated driven eccentric and maintaining a constant spacing between the centers thereof.

3. A printing press as claimed in claim 2, in which said means maintaining the centers of said eccentrics spaced a fixed distance comprises a pair of relatively elongated links, each link having a pair of apertures, one adjacent each end, rotatably engaging its associated driving and driven eccentrics.

4. A printing press as claimed in claim 3, in which each of said links has an aperture therethrough for passage of a web of printing paper across said press in a direction parallel to the axis of said printing head.

5. A printing press as claimed in claim 1, in which said inking roller assembly support means comprises a pair of radial arms each rotatably mounted, at one end, on' one of said stub shafts, and having free ends supporting said inking roller assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 818,699 Loyster Apr. 24, 1906 

1. A PRINTING PRESS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A PRINTING BED; A PRINTING HEAD MOUNTED FOR SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL RECIPROCATION RELATIVE TO SAID BED, AND HAVING A PAIR OF COAXIAL OPPOSITELY DIRECTED STUB SHAFTS; A DRIVE SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID PRINTING BED; A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC DRIVE SPROCKETS ECCENTRICALLY FIXED ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT; A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC DRIVEN SPROCKETS EACH ECCENTRICALLY ROTATABLE ON A RESPECTIVE STUB SHAFT; A PAIR OF DRIVE CHAINS EACH CONNECTING A DRIVE SPROCKET TO AN ASSOCIATED DRIVEN SPROCKET; HEAD RECIPROCATING MEANS MOVEABLE IN SYNCHRONISM WITH SAID DRIVE SPROCKETS AND CONNECTED TO SAID HEAD AND INCLUDING MEANS MAINTAINING A CONSTANT SPACING BETWEEN THE CENTERS OF EACH DRIVE SPROCKET AND ITS ASSOCIATED DRIVEN SPROCKET; AN INKING ROLLER ASSEMBLY; SUPPORT MEANS REVOLVABLY MOUNTING SAID ASSEMBLY ON SAID STUB SHAFTS FOR REVOLUTION ABOUT SAID PRINTING HEAD; AND MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID SUPPORT MEANS TO SAID DRIVEN SPROCKETS FOR REVOLUTION OF SAID ASSEMBLY IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE RECIPROCATION OF SAID PRINTING HEAD. 